A celebration and ribbon cutting? Why would an institution whose raison d’etre has been the unfortunate and difficult life circumstances— the hardship and suffering—of families deem it appropriate to laud in this fashion the grand opening of their new center and to celebrate, Hollywood style, with a ribbon cutting?
As reaction soon gave way to more logical thought, I reminded myself of the longstanding child welfare phenomenon where empathy, caring, and compassion, and critical and in-depth understanding have been in short supply and where parents and children who constitute its client base have been the motor that has kept the system running. This self-perpetuating system has failed to grasp the necessity of understanding and actively attending to the various specific life circumstances of each parent with whom it is required to work. The system has failed to grasp the relevancy and connection of these variables to child maltreatment allegations and to the path of improved parenting behavior.
As child welfare continues to mandate that parents avail themselves to its worn menu of services, not because evidence points that way, but rather because that’s just what’s available, it becomes quite easy to deem all caregivers in need of support. Just like all child welfare involved parents need to attend counseling, and need to patronize the very same counseling centers and don’t need to have essential opportunities to build more satisfying lives. Child welfare just can’t seem to understand that even parents about whom child maltreatment allegations have been reported are not one large mass of parenthood but instead, each one is an individual, with individual and specific needs.
So why not celebrate the opening of a new child abuse treatment center? Can we expect anything else from a system that repeatedly fails to comprehend the human side of the people who become its clients? And in this sad context, while we shouldn’t be surprised, we still can be offended, that there obviously was no concern for the feelings of the parents and children who frequent this center. What were their thoughts about this party—and about the ribbon cutting? If proof were needed as to child welfare’s short-sightedness, look no further than to this celebration.
(Note: I originally attempted to post this blog article on October 31, 2014, but technical problems caused only part of it to appear then.)